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Q. I’m vegetarian. Besides eggs and beans, how can I get more protein? – TK
A. There are a lot of good options for non-animal protein. Look for protein-enriched mueslis and cereals, higher-protein bread, nuts and seeds, plus the usual soy milk, tofu and textured vegetable protein items like sausage substitutes. For a protein shake, choose one based on concentrated soy protein. For general wellbeing aim for at least one gram of protein per kilo of bodyweight per day and between 1.2g and 1.7g if you are into serious fitness or sport. You may easily hit these targets.
Q. I have huge quads. How can I shrink them? – MC
A. A lot of guys will be jealous of your generous quad muscles. If it’s muscle size, then this is more of a genetic thing and you’ll need to wait for age to reduce them. If you are doing any heavy strength work on your legs, swapping this to cardio (eg, jogging) may shrink your pins a bit. If it’s fat on your legs, cut back on your kilojoule consumption and limit your carbs, though don’t go too low.
You’ll need to train to burn kilojoules, but unfortunately spot reduction doesn’t work, so you can’t choose where you lose body fat.
Q: I keep hearing people say nutrition is more important than exercise in losing weight? Is this true? - BC
A: Nutrition can be more important. In the early stages of weight loss it's easier to create the energy deficit required to burn body fat by eating less. Going without junk food or beer for a week and cutting your portions can deliver a faster result than hitting the gym every day. You've also got to watch you don't blow the kilojoules you just burnt off by eating a muffin on the way home from the gym.
Exercise however, is vital for long-term weight maintenance. It boosts your metabolic fitness so you build more muscle and become a better fat-burner. Therefore, it's really a synergy between food and fitness.
Q: If I sit on a Swiss ball instead of a chair at my office, will I lose weight? ¬- JT
A: Sitting on an exercise ball requires constant small muscle contraction in your legs, buttocks and abdomen. So you will burn more kilojoules than sitting on an office chair.
Bouncing a bit on the ball and sneaking in the odd ab crunch in between emails will burn even more kilojoules. This won't replace a jog or gym workout for your main fitness activity, but every movement in your life adds up. Combined with a nutrient-rich, energy-sparse diet, this can help you get faster results.
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